We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place.
Once upon a time when our area was under water there were no parks or trails or trees or gardens. I’m thankful that our mountains rose from an ancient ocean so we could enjoy this beautiful place we call home.
I’m thankful for the Big-Leaf maples that shower me with leaves as big as saucers as I walk in Henry Cowell along the river trail and for the giant redwoods that sprouted long ago at the time of he Mayan civilization.
I’m thankful for the Five-fingered ferns that grow lush along the lower parts of Fall Creek and for the canyons, hiking trails and small waterfalls that feed the year-round creek.
I’m thankful for the Covered Bridge in Felton, for the violinist who serenades us as walk over the river for the sound of children laughing as they play in the park and the gentle horses who live at the equestrian center.
I’m thankful for all our other parks like Garrahan and Junction Park in Boulder Creek, Highlands Park in Ben Lomond, and Sky Park, Lodato, MacDorsa, Siltanen and Hocus Pocus in Scotts Valley,
I’m thankful for the western turtles who live at the Quail Hollow pond and for the unique sand hills, grasslands, wildflowers, oaks, redwoods and for the unique plants, birds and other small creatures that live only there.
I’m thankful for Bonny Doon where you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the San Lorenzo and Scotts Valleys for the resilience of the people recovering after the fire on the mountain made of sandstone and shale.
I’m thankful that Big Basin State Park, where redwood sorrel, violets and mountain iris once covered the slopes and lush canyons and is recovering as are the salamanders, banana slugs, marbled murrelets and red-legged frogs who make it their home.
I’m thankful for the whisper of the wind blowing across the water at Loch Lomond And for the gentle whir of fishing reels, the inlets accessible by quiet boats and trails where you can enjoy the tanoak, redwood and madrone.
And finally, I’m thankful for friends and family and neighbors who share all this with me. There’s always something to be grateful for. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
Bush poppies are fast growing and need no irrigation once established. ( Really )
With cooler weather and some rain, fall weather is here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you’re thinking about what plants you might want to add to your garden this planting season, California native plants are well suited to planting at this time of year, acclimating to their new homes without much stress. Here are some ideas to get you started.
By planting now, roots of new plants have a chance to grow during fall and most of the winter without having to supply nourishment to the leafy portion of the plant. Roots of deciduous plants still grow even after plants drop their foliage as long as the ground temperature is above 50 degrees. Cooler day and night temperatures slowly harden off the top of the plant to prepare for the cold days of winter.
Another reason that fall is the “no-fail” planting season is because plants put in the ground in fall need less water to establish. The plants themselves use less water since photosynthesis is slowed by shorter days even if it’s occasionally warm. Evaporation rates slow down also during fall so moisture in the soil lasts longer as well. Sometimes we get lucky with fall and winter rains perfectly spaced so the ground never completely dries out. As of October 17, 2024 NOAA predicts equal chance of above or below normal precipitation due to a weal La Niña forecast for out area. One can only hope we get our share.
Plants that thrive in dry, shady spots benefit especially from fall planting as they need established root systems before next year’s dry season. Dry shade sometimes occurs in places beyond the reach of the hose but also under native oaks. To protect the health of native oaks, it’s a requirement that plants underneath thrive with little or no summer irrigation.
King Edward VII flowering currant
Plants of proven success under these conditions include native currants and gooseberry. Red flowering currant is a show stopper capable of controlling erosion. In the spring, the long, flower clusters of this deciduous shrub will dominate your garden. There are many selections to choose from so if the huge white flowers appeal to you ‘White Icicle’ will be beautiful in your landscape. ‘Barrie Coate’ and ‘King Edward VII’ have spectacular deep red flower clusters and ‘’Spring Showers’’ has 8″ long pink ones. Grow in full sun to partial shade. This California native requires little water once established and is a valuable nectar source for hummingbirds.
Some other good California native shrubs for erosion control are western redbud, mountain mahogany, western mock orange, lemonade berry, toyon, snowberry, matilija poppy and western elderberry. Rbes viburnifolium, creeping mahonia, snowberry, ceanothus maritimus and ‘Anchor Bay’s are good groundcover selections.
Smaller natives that put down deep roots are yarrow, coast aster, California fuchsia, wild grape, mimulus, buckwheat, wild rose, sage and salvia.
Bush poppy (dendromecon rigid) is another native found right here in our area and needs no irrigation at all once established. Beautiful bright yellow, poppy-like flowers cover the plant in spring. Bush poppies are fast growing reaching 6 feet tall. They can be propagated from cuttings taken in summer and are pest and disease free.
Remember when setting plants on a steep slope to arrange them in staggered rows. Make an individual terrace for each plant and create a basin or low spot behind each one (not around the stem) to catch water. Set the crowns of the plants high so they won’t become saturated and rot after watering and make sure mulch does not build up around the stem.
These lupine self sowed in Bonny Doon after the fire but you can create your own field of lupine, California poppy, brome, rye and barley by planting the Holdfast Native Blend.
It’s beginning to look a lot like….Fall. The weather is perfect, the soil still warm and the storm door is opening for those gentle autumn rains that do so much good for our gardens and the forest. I stopped by Mountain Feed & Farm Supply in Ben Lomond recently to see what kinds of seed they had for erosion control and cover crops and believe you me they are fully stocked. The knowledgable staff can help you decide which seed is best for your situation. They showed me about 20 different kinds of erosion control and cover crop seed as well as pasture and wildflower mixes, clovers and native seed mixes. One of their shop cats, who looks a lot like my Archer, is named Jan. How cool is that? Now’s the time to get that seed in the ground.
Often erosion control plants need to adapt to shallow, poor soil and cope with less than ideal conditional all while putting down dense, strong roots. Native shrubs are great for long-term control but they can take a few seasons to get established. Mountain Feed carries mixes like Holdfast Native Blend and Grasslands Native Perennial Blend. Some of the seed included in these mixes are California Brome, Wild Rye, California Poppy, Lupine, Barley, Ryegrass and Purple Needle Grass.
For those of you who raise chickens, there is a Chicken Pasture Mix with ryegrass, peas, oats, clover, flax, mustard and the legume Birdsfoot Trefoil. Horse owners might be interested in the Horse Dry Land Mix with perennial ryegrass, clover and orchard grass.
Planting a cover crop is another way to improve and retain your soil. Remember that every drop of rain that hits bare soil is destructive. Over 3000 years ago the Chinese protected their soil from erosion and increased fertility by planting cover crops. Early Nile Valley inhabitants also practiced this method of agriculture as did first century Romans. Lupines were planted in poor soil when no animal manure was to be had.
Cover crops like bell beans, vetch and fava beans are especially valuable as they increase nitrogen levels in the soil in two ways. Atmospheric nitrogen can be “fixed” and left in the soil to fertilize subsequent crops. This is in addition to the nitrogen left from the foliage of the legume. Growing a cover crop also increases beneficial soil bacteria.
Cover crops are called green manure when they are chopped up and turned into the soil in spring before going to seed. The planting of legumes like peas and beans can actually increase nutrients in your soil giving you a net gain which is needed to offset what you take out of the soil when you harvest fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Now through the end of November is the best time to sow cover crops. You will need to irrigate lightly a couple times per week if it doesn’t rain. You can also wait to sow just before the rains start. Be careful about working overly wet soil, however, as you can ruin the structure of your soil.
Recent research now recommends planting a mixture of grasses and legumes. Annual cereal grasses such as oats, rye and barley germinated quickly to hold and shield the soil until the legumes take hold. Bell beans, fava beans and vetch, which are the best legumes for our area, grow slowly the first 3 months then take off growing 70-80% in the last 3 months. The ratio of grass seed to legumes can vary from 10% to 30%.
There are other legumes that fix nitrogen but nowhere near as efficiently as bell beans. Mustard causes competition with the fruit trees as bees will concentrate on the mustard flowers instead of the fruit tree flowers but is good in other situations. Mountain Feed carries a Bee-Friendly Cover Crop mix that includes several types of clover.
You don’t need to use inoculates on legume seed. Our soils have a native resident population of good bacteria that will break down the seed coat and encourage the plant roots to fix more nitrogen especially after cover cropping for a few years.
Work the soil lightly with a metal bow rake then broadcast 8-10 seeds per square foot. Weeds should be already cleared but this step doesn’t have to be perfect. Afterward the area should be raked again lightly 1-2 inches down and covered with 3-4 inches of straw. Wood chips would be fine, too. Mulch heavier if you have bird competition. Cover crops are vigorous and will come up through just about anything. Water in lightly.
If you plan to let your small vegetable garden lie fallow over the winter instead of planting it with a cover crop you can cover it with manure and straw.
